Sustainable Progress

The George Eastman Museum, including offsite storage, encompasses more than 120,000 square feet. As a result of our extensive facilities and the demanding temperature and humidity requirements for storage of our world-class collections of films, photographs, and related technology, the museum consumes an unusually large amount of energy for an institution of our budget. Our energy expenses exceeded $400,000 in 2024.

As we have updated our facilities, we have lowered our energy usage. For example, the Thomas Tischer Visitor Center and the Gallery Obscura (our community gallery) are installed exclusively with LED lighting, which is much more energy efficient.

We have just completed the second of three phases of our major project to upgrade and expand the Louis B. Mayer Conservation Center, where we store more than 24,000 reels of nitrate motion picture film and a large collection of nitrate negatives for still
photographs. For various reasons, this facility has by far the highest energy usage per square foot of any of our spaces.

In the first phase of the project, we replaced an obsolete chiller with two energy-efficient, variable-speed chillers, which are more effective at maintaining an appropriate storage environment. In the second phase, after we expanded the facility, we applied a specialized coating to its exterior walls to improve the vapor barrier (for better humidity control) and then applied insulative panels on all of the exterior walls. As a result, the energy usage of the facility will be meaningfully reduced, and our ability to control temperature and humidity will be more resilient during hot weather.

In prior years, successful LED lighting installations—which increase energy efficiency, decrease energy costs, and improve the quality and adaptability of exhibition lighting—were completed in the Project Gallery (2016) and Collection Gallery (2023). In recent years, we have used LED bulbs in obsolete 35-year-old incandescent fixtures in the Main Galleries, our largest exhibition
space. Despite the use of LED bulbs, the internal drivers in these incandescent fixtures have drawn excessive energy, resulting
in overheated bulbs, more frequent bulb replacement, and increased operating expenses. The combination of old fixtures with LED bulbs has also created challenges to achieving required light levels for the exhibition of sensitive collection objects; in these fixtures, dimmable LED bulbs often flicker or are extinguished.

The George Eastman Museum is honored to have been selected to receive a grant award of $98,220 from the Frankenthaler Climate Initiative, a grantmaking program established by the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation in collaboration with Environment & Culture Partners and RMI to catalyze climate action in the visual arts. 

Grant funds will support the installation of an integrated LED lighting system in the Main Galleries and Potter Peristyle. Currently underway, this project will lower energy consumption for lighting and reduce the heat emitted, which will decrease air conditioning costs. It will also benefit the preservation of sensitive objects while they are on display, enhance the visitor experience, and save staff time in lighting exhibitions.

The foundation was established by Helen Frankenthaler (1928–2011), one of the great American abstract painters, during her life. An impressive painting by her is currently on view at the Memorial Art Gallery. The George Eastman Museum is committed to continuing our efforts to decrease energy consumption, improve sustainability, and reduce our carbon footprint.

Bruce Barnes, PhD

Ron and Donna Fielding Director

March/April 2025 Bulletin